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Blue Wahoos fall to Biscuits

Yorman Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a homer and an RBI, but it wasn’t enough as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped to 56-78 on the year with a 4-3 loss to the Montgomery Biscuits in front of 3,074 at Blue Wahoos stadium.

The Wahoos (56-78) will close out the home portion of the 2014 season tonight when they play host to Montgomery in the series finale.

Earlier Monday, Kyle Waldrop became the first Blue Wahoos player this season to earn the Southern League’s Player of the Week honors. As if that wasn’t enough, Waldrop lined a double to center that scored Rodriguez to tie the franchise record of seven consecutive games with an RBI.

Waldrop has been on a hitting tear and for the week ending Sunday, August 24 was recognized as the league's top player by Minor League Baseball. During the week, the left-handed hitter batted .533 (16-for-33) with two home runs, three doubles and a triple and a slugging percentage of .900.

“I’ve always felt in the second half I’ve done well,” Waldrop said. “Finish strong is my motto. I’m more patient and looking for a certain pitch to put good swings on the ball.”

The 22-year-old Waldrop now has an eight-game hitting streak, including six multi-hit games. Over the past week, he has raised his average 37 points to .309. His average is tops on the team and his 33 RBI leads the team since the All-Star break.

“He's a solid hitter,” said Walt Jocketty, the Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations and general manager, who was visiting Pensacola. “He’s proven he can come up here and make adjustments. If he does that, he will keep moving up.”

The left-handed hitting Waldrop was part of a group of seven High-A Bakersfield players who joined the Wahoos after the All-Star break. He was leading the California League with a .359 average.

Pensacola Manager Delino DeShields said Waldrop impressed him the most among the Bakersfield seven.

“Of all those guys, he was the most ready coming in and it shows,” DeShields said. “He was swinging the bat that way in Bakersfield and is making the adjustments faster than the others.”

Waldrop isn’t the only hot-hitting Blue Wahoos player. Yorman Rodriguez also is swinging a big stick, smacking a solo home run to right field Monday to go along with two doubles and a single in a 4-4 night and he scored all three Wahoos runs.

Rodriguez smacked home runs in three straight games against the Jacksonville Suns in the last series and now has nine homers on the year. In addition, the 22-year-old outfielder has an 11-game hitting streak, hitting .486 (18-37) with four home runs and 11 RBI.

The Venezuelan said through interpreter Yovan Gonzalez, the team's catcher, that he has been taking extra hitting in the batting cages and working with hitting coach Alex Palaez.

“I’m throwing my hands hard through the ball and I've been successful doing that,” Rodriguez said. “I’m also being more patient, especially as the leadoff hitter.”

DeShields praised both Rodriguez and Waldrop for their hot hitting lately.

“They’re both playing at a high level right now,” he said.

GAME NOTES

The final home game of the 2014 season is against the Tampa Bay Rays Double-A affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits and gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-6, 3.09) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Biscuits RHP Victor Mateo (12-9, 3.61). A choreographed Fireworks Extravaganza will follow the last regular-season home game of the 2014 campaign. The fireworks show is presented by Auto-Owners Insurance and Hiles-McLeod Insurance Agency.

In addition, it's Team Tuesday and fans are urged to come early for a complimentary pregame autograph session by select Blue Wahoos players. The autograph session begins at 5:40 p.m. It's also Ford Mustang Night and the Wahoos and fans can celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the iconic American sports car.

The game will be broadcast live on radio on ESPN Pensacola at 101.1 FM and 1450 AM. You can stream the game at MILB.TV.

BIG FISH

Right fielder Kyle Waldrop went 1-for-4 and knocked in a run to tie the franchise record of seven consecutive games with an RBI...Leftfielder Yorman Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and scored all three Wahoos runs, extending his hitting streak to 11 games...Shortstop Devin Lohman went 1-for-4 with one RBI and is now hitting .419 over his last 10 games...Starting pitcher Robert Stephenson took the loss to fall to 6-for-10 on the year, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in five innings and striking out five.

WAHOOS FANS

With just one more home game left in the 2014 season, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos are just 442 fans shy of passing last season's attendance total of 307,094.

A crowd of 3,074 attended Monday's game, upping the Wahoos total this year to 306,652, the second highest total in the Southern League behind the Birmingham Barons.

The Blue Wahoos, who have 33 sellout crowds this season, are averaging 4,444 fans a game. In its inaugural season in 2012, they drew 328,147, which ranked first in the Southern League.

HAMILTON'S RUN

Walt Jocketty said he knew that Cincinnati Reds rookie Billy Hamilton would have a good year. But leading National League rookies in several offensive categories and making highlight plays in the outfield?

“We all felt very confident,” said Jocketty, president of baseball operations and general manager, who is in town to watch the Pensacola Blue Wahoos for the second time this season. “I was asked all winter, ‘Why are you playing a rookie in centerfield and leading off? I said his ability and athleticism would take over. He’s got great instincts. He’s a tireless worker. He’s the same kid there that he was here.”

Hamilton is hitting .265, scored 66 runs and stole 49 bases in 125 games with the Reds. He played for the Blue Wahoos the second half of 2012 and set the minor league record for steals with 155.